2014-04-25 09:24:25

Blessed John XXIII in Turkey


(Vatican Radio) It was through Blessed John XXIII that diplomatic relations were established between Turkey and the Holy See.

In fact John XXIII served as papal representative in this nation from 1934 to 1945 when he was appointed papal nuncio to Paris. A nation he grew to love and whose people as he wrote in his diary 'Journal of a soul' , he felt he had a lot to learn from. Certainly this Turkish experience impacted in his formation in terms of ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue.

On one occasion he wrote that 'we have a duty to be like the fishermen of the Bosphorus:

"Every evening from the window of my room I see an assemblage of boats. they come round from the Golden Horn in tens and hundreds; they gather at a given rendez-vous and then they light up some more brilliantly than others, offering a most impressive spectacle of colours and lights...

The other night. towards one o'clock it was pouring with rain but the fishermen were still there, undeterred from their heavy toil. Oh how ashamed we should be, we fishers of men before such an example...We must do as the fishermen of the Bosphorus do , work day and night , with our torches lit, each in his own little boat , at the orders of our spiritual leaders : that is our grave and solemn duty".

In this programme you can hear how Benedict XVI, now pope emeritus, speaks of John XXIII during his visit to Turkey in November 2006 and also the memories of a former Vatican diplomat Monsignor Charles Burton Mouton who once lived in Roncalli's former house discovering while leafing through the books in the library some hand written comments.


Listen to this programme presented and produced by Veronica Scarisbrick: RealAudioMP3







All the contents on this site are copyrighted ©.